Dalton Stidham turned heads locally when he brought home the silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2014 UIL Track and Field Championships during his senior season at Boyd.

Almost four years later, Stidham is garnering attention on the national level.

The Tarleton State University junior finished fourth in the 60-meter hurdles last weekend at the NCAA Division II indoor national championships.

Stidham clocked a 7.95 in the finals, finishing 0.2 seconds shy of claiming the bronze medal. Stidham’s performance earned him All-American status for the first time.

“It’s achieving a dream I set my freshman year of college,” Stidham said. “It’s just been a great season. To come out and finish it [by] being an All-American, that says I’m one of the best at doing what I do in Division II.

“I like to rise to the occasion. If I’m running against fast people, I always run fast and drop crazy times. I like good competition.”

Stidham entered the national championships ranked No. 14 in the country. He shaved a tenth of a second off his time.

In 2017, Stidham broke the Tarleton record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.05 seconds. He shattered his own record last weekend in the prelims, posting a 7.91. Tarleton coach Pat Ponder was so impressed with Stidham’s work ethic that he offered him a scholarship after his freshman season.

“There was never a doubt [we would give him a scholarship],” Ponder said. “After his freshman year, it was pretty evident that this young man deserved a scholarship because he earned it. He’s taken that and literally, no pun intended, he’s run with it.”

Although he is now an All-American, Boyd coach John Basting said Stidham was not always the fastest runner on the track. Basting recalled Stidham being one of the smallest athletes on the team when he arrived at Boyd. But Stidham never let his size deter him from reaching his goals.

“He always took an interest in track,” Basting said. “That was his thing. He wasn’t the fastest or anything, but he would always work extra. He’d be the last one out there and the first one on the track, always trying to get better. He had a plan that he wanted to be as good as he could be.”

Coming from a small school didn’t deter Ponder from recruiting Stidham. Ponder said there is plenty of talent in small towns – they just have to find it.

“Who knew? Who knew coming out of Boyd, Texas, that Dalton would be the athlete that he is today? He doesn’t back down from a challenge. He’s just one of those kids that loves competing,” Ponder said.

Stidham will kick off the outdoor track season Saturday at the Cactus Cup in Kingsville.

“[This] kind of solidifies what we’ve worked for through my whole track career,” said Stidham of his finish at the indoor national championships. “[It shows] those hours weren’t just thrown away. All that training paid off.”

ON THE MOUND – Starter Chase Oberle was one of three pitchers on the mound for the Eagles in their home opener Tuesday. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

The Decatur Eagles committed five errors and used three pitchers in their home opener Tuesday night, falling to Braswell 11-1 in six innings.

Starting pitcher Chase Oberle was chased from the game after four and two-thirds innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits. Only three of the runs were earned. He struck out two and walked one.

Of the 132 pitches thrown by Decatur’s three pitchers, only 74 were for strikes.

“Chase did a good job,” said Decatur coach Tommy Maddox. “We kind of had control problems and walked some guys.

“He threw a lot of pitches in a short amount of time, and that’s always difficult. He kept us in the game. With all the things that were happening behind him, that was big to keep us at that point for a while to see if we could scratch some runs across. We just never could get anything going, and it just got ugly.”

The Eagles scored their only run of the night in the fifth inning when Triston Read doubled on a ground ball up the middle. Decatur had runners at second and third for Wilson Hicks, but he grounded out to end the inning.

The Eagles were unable to string together timely hits.

“They ran three pitchers, and we haven’t seen that velocity and didn’t handle it well,” Maddox said. “We were trying to match his velocity with swinging hard instead of staying connected and staying up the middle of the field.”

Wilson Hicks and Bodi Rascon went 2-for-3 at the plate. Alec Uselton and Read accounted for the Eagles’ other two hits. The bottom five of Decatur’s order went a combined 0-of-14 at the dish.

Braswell scored its second run of the game on an error by Uselton in center field on a fly ball. The Bengals then plated two runs on an RBI-double to center. In the fifth, Braswell extended its advantage on an error by Decatur second baseman Cole Davis. Later in the sixth, Decatur reliever Nick Birmingham walked home two runs.

“Probably the most disappointing thing was just the effort,” Maddox said. “We didn’t play like it was that important to us tonight. That’s what’s disappointing. It’s a good 5A school and a good test for us. We’ll learn from it and move on.”

After winning eight straight games and going undefeated in the Bowie Tournament, Decatur has now lost three in a row. The Eagles will be back in action today when they travel to Kennedale.

Decatur opens District 9-4A play March 27 at Gainesville. The Eagles are 9-6 overall on the season.

“I talked to them at the end of [the game] about not taking winning for granted,” Maddox said. “I think right now we’re kind of getting a little taste of it. I think it will be good for us if we handle it the right way.”

PERSONAL BEST – Decatur’s Mark Thomas recorded a personal best on deadlift at the regional meet to advance to state. Thomas lifted 585 pounds – the most in his weight division. Photo courtesy of Scott Warner

Wise County will be sending several lifters to the Texas High School Powerlifting Association championships March 24 at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene.

Lifters earned spots at regional meets last weekend.

In Region 6 Division 2, Decatur’s Mark Thomas finished second in the 198-pound weight division, lifting a total of 1,335 pounds. Thomas was in eighth entering the deadlift and hoisted a personal best 585 pounds to advance to the state meet.

“It was a do-or-die, pull it and go to state or don’t and get whatever place he was going to get,” said Decatur coach Scott Warner. “It was pretty amazing. He was pumped and had a big smile on his face all the way home. It was one of my proudest moments as a coach.”

SILVER FINISH – Boyd’s Cruz Montes finished second in the 220-pound weight class and qualified for the state meet in Abilene. Photo courtesy of Jason Sanders

In Region 6 Division 3, Boyd’s Cruz Montes qualified in the 220-pound weight division. Montes finished 5 pounds shy of first place, lifting 1,440 pounds. He squatted and lifted the most in his weight class.

Boyd also had two lifters finish as alternates for the state meet. Dillon Inman took fourth in the 165-pound division, and Bartolo Guevara was fourth in the 275-pound weight class.

“It’s not that unexpected because [Montes] is big-time into it,” said Boyd coach Jason Sanders. “He works really hard and does a lot of stuff on his own. I’m very happy for him. The price he paid and the work he put in paid off. It was a big goal of his to get there.”

Cason Rangel finished in a three-way tie in the 275-pound weight division, lifting 1,420 pounds. Rangel narrowly missed out on state, losing a three-way tiebreaker. Alvord athletic director Pete Hart said the tiebreaker went to the lighter lifters, so Rangel was eliminated by virtue of being the heaviest.

Chico’s Nico Starnes won the 148-pound weight class and also advanced to state. He lifted 1,135 pounds total.

Martin tripled in the first, singled in the second and third and doubled in the fourth. She had three RBIs on the day.

The Lady Panthers scored seven runs in the first inning and led 14-0 by the bottom of the third. Kendall Candioto was also perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3. She scored three runs and drew two walks.

Kailey Thomas got the win for Paradise, allowing one hit in three scoreless innings. She struck out four.

With the win, the Lady Panthers moved to 11-3 overall and 4-0 in District 8-3A.

BOYD 9, BOWIE 4

Boyd got back to the .500 mark in District 8-3A Wednesday, downing Bowie 9-4.

Kristin Rasbury threw a complete game for the Lady Jackets, scattering four runs on 10 hits. She struck out nine.

Boyd used a four-run second inning to pull away. Jordan Salmon and Sydney Langley each went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in two runs.

The Lady Jackets are now 2-2 in district and 4-13 overall. They have won two straight.

]]>http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/softball-paradise-crushes-nocona/feed/0Basketball: Anderson named 6-5A MVPhttp://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/basketball-anderson-named-6-5a-mvp/
http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/basketball-anderson-named-6-5a-mvp/#respondSat, 17 Mar 2018 13:56:33 +0000http://www.wcmessenger.com/?p=132483Northwest junior Avery Anderson was named District 6-5A MVP after leading the Texans to their second consecutive trip to the UIL state tournament.

Anderson averaged 16.9 points per game this season, shooting 42.5 percent from the floor.

Julien Smith earned Sophomore of the Year. Smith hit a crucial 3-pointer in the 5A Region I final against Amarillo to send Northwest to San Antonio.

Hix averaged 13.1 points on an efficient 52.4 percent shooting in his first and only season with the Texans. He posted a game-high 27 points in the state final against Port Arthur. Freeman averaged a double-double in the state tournament, leading Northwest to a victory over Alamo Heights in the semifinals.

Keys was Northwest’s second-leading scorer during the regular season but suffered an ankle injury in the regular season finale against Brewer that hampered him throughout the playoffs. Darrell Simpson, who committed to play football at Oklahoma, was a second-team selection.

Alvord coach Aaron Tefertiller was named Coach of the Year. Tefertiller led the Bulldogs to a 20-12 record and helped Alvord make the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Sophomore point guard Jayton Malone was a first-team selection for the Bulldogs.

Chico senior Jerod Blanks was also a first-team pick. Blanks averaged 15.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Blanks shot 80 percent at the charity stripe and led the Dragons in shooting from beyond the arc.

Chico’s Willie Payne was tabbed to the second-team. Payne averaged 5.3 points and 9.7 rebounds. He had a team-high 16 rebounds for the Dragons in a win over Poolville.

Tanner Petree earned second-team honors for Alvord. Petree hit a school record eight 3-pointers in a 71-48 victory over Perrin in early February.

]]>http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/basketball-alvord-chico-snag-all-district-honors/feed/0Soccer: Rivalry renewed – Decatur and Bridgeport square off for district titlehttp://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/soccer-rivalry-renewed-decatur-and-bridgeport-square-off-for-district-title/
http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/soccer-rivalry-renewed-decatur-and-bridgeport-square-off-for-district-title/#respondSat, 17 Mar 2018 13:54:39 +0000http://www.wcmessenger.com/?p=132479When Bridgeport and Decatur meet on the pitch Tuesday in Bridgeport, there will be much more than bragging rights on the line.

The District 3-4A title will also be at stake.

Having split the season series to this point, the Bulls and Eagles enter the district finale separated by a razor’s edge in the standings. Bridgeport is 6-1-1 in league play while Decatur is 7-1.

If the Bulls win, they will repeat as district champions. If the Eagles win or tie, they will claim their first district title in school history.

“We’re excited,” said Decatur coach Christopher Benjamin. “The guys are really excited that they have an opportunity to make history here at Decatur soccer. We have yet to win a district title.”

Decatur has won five straight matches, including a 2-1 victory over Bridgeport at home on March 2. The Eagles’ last loss came on Feb. 20 against the Bulls.

Although Bridgeport won their first meeting 5-0, Benjamin said the score was not indicative of how close the match actually was. Both teams battled a heavy, cold rain.

“If you weren’t at the game you kind of didn’t get to see the full story,” Benjamin said. “It was really windy in one direction. Four of their goals came in the first half. We basically played them to a draw in the second half, other than a goal in the last minute of the game.”

The Bulls are focused on getting healthy. Bridgeport coach C.J. Cartwright said forward Juan Amador, who did not play in the 2-1 loss, should be ready to go on Tuesday. Amador missed that game with an ankle injury.

Defender Giovanni Martinez was also out. Cartwright said he does not expect Martinez to be available. He is battling a severe ankle sprain that left him in a walking boot.

Cartwright said the goal is to have him back in time for the playoffs.

The Eagles dictated tempo and possession in the midfield in their 2-1 win, something Bridgeport knows it will have to counter this time around.

“Their midfield is really where I think they win their games,” Cartwright said. “Their midfielders are strong on the ball. They pass and move the ball well to skilled players. I think for the most part it was a numbers issue – getting the right people in the right portion of the field to help neutralize what they do well, and that’s possession in the midfield.”

The Bulls must beat Decatur in order to snag their second district title in as many years. If Bridgeport finishes second, Cartwright said they would likely earn a rematch with Brownwood in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Bulls beat Brownwood 5-1 last year.

“They’re aware of the situation,” Cartwright said. “I’m trying not to focus on ‘We have to beat Decatur.’ They know that. [I’m trying to] not necessarily emphasize the situation so much and put that added pressure on them. They know that the deal is.”

As precious time ticked off the clock in the 5A state title game, the Northwest Texans frantically looked around the court wondering who should commit the clock-stopping foul.

Port Arthur had a 70-64 lead with under a minute left, and Northwest had to extend the game.

Avery Anderson, Jordan Keys, Julien Smith and Darrell Simpson all had four fouls. Realizing no one was going to foul, Anderson took matters into his own hands. He sacrificed himself, fouling out to give Northwest a chance. But it was for naught.

The Texans came up one win shy of their first state title in school history, falling to Port Arthur 75-69 Saturday at the Alamodome in the UIL basketball championships. Northwest finished the season 34-6 and the 5A runner-up.

END OF THE LINE – Northwest’s Mason Hix (left) consoles teammate Jordan Keys after the Texans’ 75-69 loss in the 5A state championship. Photo courtesy Stephen Spillman

“I thought it was more of us running out of fouls than it was us running out of gas,” said Northwest coach Mike Hatch. “I thought our kids played their tails off.

“Getting into foul trouble caused us some problems. That’s where we lost some of our aggressiveness because we had some of our better offensive players sitting on the bench.”

Anderson and Keys picked up their fourth fouls midway through the third quarter, relegating them to the bench. The Texans committed 28 fouls in the game.

With his teammates in foul trouble, senior Mason Hix did his best to shoulder the load offensively. In his final high school game, the UT-Arlington signee scored a game-high 27 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the field. He knocked down four 3-pointers.

OUT WITH A BANG – Northwest senior Mason Hix shoots in the 5A championship against Port Arthur. Hix finished with a game-high 27 points in the loss. Photo courtesy Stephen Spillman

“[Hix] hit about every shot he took, it seemed like,” Hatch said. “He was carrying us for sure. He hit some big shots. I thought at both ends he rebounded well. I thought he played a heck of a game.”

Hix kept the Titans at bay in the third quarter, driving to the rim and hitting outside shots. Hix served as Northwest’s primary offensive threat with Anderson and others in foul trouble.

“[Foul trouble] was frustrating, but I just kept telling everyone to play hard, it’s not over,” Hix said. “Do what we do and fight back.”

Northwest led 50-45 going into the final frame. That’s when Port Arthur’s Darion Chatman took the game over.

As Northwest did its best not to foul, Chatman started attacking. The 5A finals MVP finished with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting, helping the Titans outscore the Texans 30-19 in the fourth quarter.

“In the fourth quarter we couldn’t stop [Chatman],” Hatch said. “We zoned him. We manned him. We tried to double him. He just wasn’t laying down. He kept hunkering down and coming at us. I thought he turned the game around himself. Obviously the foul trouble was a huge problem for us.”

The loss snapped the Texans’ 18-game winning streak dating back to December.

Northwest will graduate starters Hix and Keys along with sixth man Simpson. Anderson, Smith and 6-foot-9 sophomore Sammie Freeman will return next season.

“For sure [this loss is tougher than last year’s],” Anderson said. ” I just think we didn’t finish the game well. [Chatman] kept coming and it took our aggressiveness away with the foul situation.”

Saturday in San Antonio, an unstoppable force met an immovable object.

Northwest entered the 5A title game on an 18-game winning streak, while Port Arthur had won 25 in a row. Both teams were on incredible runs with high-octane, electrifying players.

Something had to give.

As the fouls started to pile up for the Texans, their offense began to sputter. Northwest’s leading scorer, Avery Anderson, had three fouls by halftime. But as they had done time and time again this season, the Texans did not panic.

RALLYING THE TROOPS – Northwest coach Mike Hatch urges his team on during the 5A finals against Port Arthur. Photo courtesy Stephen Spillman

Northwest had plenty of options offensively – and one by one, they got in foul trouble. At one point in the fourth quarter, four of the Texans’ five starters had four fouls. On the verge of fouling out, Northwest knew they had to back off the aggressiveness to stay in the game.

Port Arthur took advantage.

With Northwest unable to match the Titans’ intensity level, Port Arthur began chipping away at the Texans’ lead. Northwest led for the first three quarters until foul trouble finally caught up with them. Port Arthur sensed a weakness and amped up its defensive pressure until the Texans finally caved.

Sammie Freeman was the first to foul out in the fourth quarter. Anderson and Julien Smith followed suit shortly after. As frustration set in, the Titans only got stronger.

Northwest was outscored 30-19 in the fourth quarter, a product of both Port Arthur’s defense and the Texans’ self-inflicted foul trouble. Northwest coach Mike Hatch conceded after the game MVP Darion Chatman took over, adding the Texans had no answer for him.

No matter what defense Northwest threw at Port Arthur, Chatman answered the bell.

He finished with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting, injecting life into the Titans and spoiling a tremendous campaign by the Texans.

Northwest players talked repeatedly about last season and how they were just happy to be in the state tournament. Last year, the Texans fell in the 5A semifinal, losing 82-59 to Fort Bend Marshall. Both Hatch and Anderson said leading up to the championship this year the goal was different – to win.

Shirts worn by Northwest students, fans and players alike read “There’s only one thing left to do – win the whole thing.”

They just came up short.

Except this time around in the Alamo City, the Texans were just eight minutes from a state title. Not only did they make amends for last season’s semifinal loss, Northwest showed the entire state its program is one of the best around.

They may not have accomplished their ultimate goal, but the Texans have plenty to hang their hats on.

Reece Waddell is the Messenger’s sports editor.

]]>http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/basketball-northwest-has-plenty-to-be-proud-of/feed/0Basketball: Hix, Freeman named all-tournamenthttp://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/basketball-hix-freeman-named-all-tournament/
http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/basketball-hix-freeman-named-all-tournament/#respondWed, 14 Mar 2018 17:46:10 +0000http://www.wcmessenger.com/?p=132380Northwest’s Mason Hix and Sammie Freeman were named to the 5A all-tournament team last weekend at the UIL basketball championships in San Antonio.

Hix scored 14 points in the Texans’ semifinal victory over Alamo Heights. He also pulled down four rebounds. In the finals against Port Arthur, Hix scored a game-high 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting.

Freeman notched a double-double in both games. Freeman recorded a 13-point, 17-rebound performance in the semifinals. In the championship on Saturday, Freeman scored 11 points and pulled down 15 boards.

Northwest’s leading scorer during the regular season, Avery Anderson, was held to eight points in the championship on 2-for-10 shooting. Anderson was in foul trouble for most of the final game.

The Texans’ second-leading scorer in the regular season, Jordan Keys, had nine points against Port Arthur and six against Alamo Heights. Keys battled an ankle injury throughout the playoffs, suffering a sprain in the regular season finale against Brewer.

Emanuel Morales had two goals. Daniel Inguanzo and Edgar Rodriguez had one goal and one assist.

Sebastian Serrano also found the back of the net.

The Eagles moved to 14-9-1 overall and 7-1 in District 3-4A. The Eagles will head into the District 3-4A finale on March 20 in first place.

BRIDGEPORT 3, WICHITA FALLS 3

The Bridgeport Bulls forced a 3-3 draw with Wichita Falls Hirschi Friday on a penalty kick with 45 seconds left.

Edward Rodriguez, Milton Iniguez and Miguel Olmos had goals for Bridgeport. The Bulls are now 16-3-1 overall and 6-1-1 in league play.

Bridgeport trails Decatur in the 3-4A standings but controls its own destiny. If the Bulls beat Decatur on March 20, they will win the district title. If they lose or tie, the Eagles will win the title.

Candioto kept the Lady Eagles off-balance with a mixture of riseballs and changeups. She struck out the side in the second and third innings.

Candioto took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. Holliday’s Kaitlynn Weatherread broke it up on a line-drive single to left field.

With the tying run at the plate and no outs, Candioto left Weatherread stranded at first base, getting the final three outs of the game to secure the win.

Candioto said she did not realize she was three outs away from a no-hitter.

“I usually try not to think about [having a no-hitter],” Candioto said. “If I do, I tend to lose it and I get upset. My riseball, which usually works a lot, and my changeup, surprisingly, were all working. My screwball was good, too.”

Paradise scored its only runs of the game in the third inning on a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle by Christina Tipton. After Sarah McKinney singled, Candioto kept the inning alive with a two-out double to put runners at second and third.

Tipton then used the middle of the field to send a sharply hit ground ball into center to plate the game’s only runs.

“That was a real solid, big hit in a 0-0 game,” Essig said. “You get two outs and two runners on and an opportunity to score, you’re glad she’s patient.”

The Lady Panthers ran into trouble in the fourth inning when Candioto walked two straight batters to put runners on first and second, but was able to wiggle out of it. She fielded a bunt attempt from Holliday to retire the side.

In the sixth, second baseman Maddie Terry dove and snagged a ground ball to preserve Candioto’s no-hitter.

Paradise was unable to add any insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning, but Candioto did not need them.

“I told my kids I think it’s a great thing to be able to win games in multiple ways,” Essig said. “I think it’s good to win a tight game where everybody plays solid defense.”

DELIVERING A PITCH – Chico’s Laynee North throws the ball during the Lady Dragons’ loss to Lindsay. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

The Chico Lady Dragons dropped their second District 11-2A game of the season Monday to Lindsay 15-4.

Lindsay got on the board in the top of the first when Chico dropped a fly ball in right field to plate a run. The errors did not stop there.

The Lady Dragons committed several errors in the second inning, including two throwing errors on one play to score two runs. Chico coach Clay Sanders estimated the Lady Dragons committed more than 10 errors on the afternoon, dropping his team to 1-2 in District 11-2A.

“Easily double-digits [in errors committed],” Sanders said. “It’s nails in the coffin, if you want to use an analogy like that. We’ll get better with each game, and it’s my job to make sure that happens.”

After going down 7-0, Reagan Hardee got Chico on the board in the third inning with an inside-the-park home run. Hardee launched a pitch into the left field gap that Lindsay’s outfielder struggled to corral.

Hardee’s home run ignited a three-run inning for the Lady Dragons. Chico added another run on an RBI-single through the right side of the infield.

“Reagan is the lightning rod of this team, in my opinion” Sanders said. “I’ve got her at leadoff, and that tells you everything you need to know about her. She’s a great athlete all the way around.”

Despite getting runners on second and third with no outs in the third, Chico was unable to do any more damage.

In the fourth inning, Lindsay blew the game open. The Lady Knights scored seven runs in the frame, capped with a two-run blast to right field. Lindsay added another run in the fifth on a passed ball to put the game away.

The Lady Dragons rebounded from their loss against Lindsay with a 16-1 rout of Tioga on Tuesday. Chico goes into spring break 2-2 in league play and 2-3 overall.

Although they are almost a month into their season, the Lady Dragons have only played five games. Sanders said nearly all of Chico’s games and tournaments to start the year were rained out or canceled due to inclement weather.

“We can’t use that as an excuse, and we won’t use it as an excuse,” Sanders said. “It’s kind of rough when you [don’t] get those in-game experiences and then district play starts and you can’t knock that rust off early on.”

]]>http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/baseball-kaufman-blanks-decatur/feed/0Braswell blasts Decatur in Eagles’ home openerhttp://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/braswell-blasts-decatur-in-eagles-home-opener/
http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/braswell-blasts-decatur-in-eagles-home-opener/#respondWed, 14 Mar 2018 05:16:49 +0000http://www.wcmessenger.com/?p=132305The Decatur Eagles committed five errors and used three pitchers in their home opener Tuesday night, falling to Denton Braswell 11-1 in six innings.

Starting pitcher Chase Oberle was chased from the game after four and two-thirds innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits. Only three of the runs were earned. He struck out two and walked one.

Of the 132 total pitches thrown by Decatur’s three pitchers, only 74 were for strikes. Forty-four percent of the Eagles’ pitches against the Bengals were outside the strike zone.

“Chase did a good job,” said Decatur coach Tommy Maddox. “We kind of had control problems and walked some guys. He threw a lot of pitches in a short amount of time, and that’s always difficult. He kept us in the game. With all the things that were happening behind him, that was big to keep us at that point for a while to see if we could scratch some runs across. We just never could get anything going and it just got ugly.”

The Eagles scored their only run of the game in the fifth inning when Triston Read doubled on a ground ball up the middle. Decatur had runners at second and third for Wilson Hicks, but he grounded out to end the inning.

The Eagles were unable to string together timely hits as Maddox said Decatur struggled to solve Braswell’s pitching.

“They ran three pitchers and we haven’t seen that velocity and didn’t handle it well,” Maddox said. “We were trying to match his velocity with swinging hard instead of staying connected and staying up the middle of the field.”

Wilson Hicks and Bodi Rascon went two-for-three at the plate. Alec Uselton and Read accounted for the Eagles’ other two hits. The bottom five of Decatur’s order went a combined 0-of-14 at the dish.

Braswell scored its second run of the game on an error by Uselton in center field on a fly ball. The Bengals then plated two runs on an RBI-double to center. In the fifth, Braswell extended its advantage on an error by Decatur second baseman Cole Davis. Later in the sixth, Decatur reliever Nick Birmingham walked home two runs.

“Probably the most disappointing thing was just the effort,” Maddox said. “We didn’t play like it was that important to us tonight. That’s what’s disappointing. It’s a good 5A school and a good test for us. We’ll learn from it and move on.”

After winning eight straight games and going undefeated in the Bowie Tournament, Decatur has now lost three in a row. The Eagles will be back in action Saturday when they travel to Kennedale.

Decatur opens district play Tuesday, March 27 at Gainesville. The Eagles are 9-6 overall on the season.

“I talked to them at the end of [the game] about not taking winning for granted,” Maddox said. “I think right now we’re kind of getting a little taste of it. I think it will be good for us if we handle it the right way.”

Candioto kept the Lady Eagles off-balance with a mixture of rise balls and changeups, striking out the side in the second and third innings. Candioto had a no-hit bid going into the seventh inning until Holliday’s Kaitlynn Weatherread broke it up on a line-drive single to left field.

With the tying run at the plate and no outs, Candioto left Weatherread stranded at first base, getting the final three outs of the game to secure the win. Candioto said she did not realize going into the seventh inning she was three outs away from a no-hitter.

“I usually try not to think about [having a no-hitter],” Candioto said. “If I do, I tend to lose it and I get upset. My rise ball, which usually works a lot, and my changeup, surprisingly, were all working. My screwball was good, too.”

Paradise scored its only runs of the game in the third inning on a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle by Christina Tipton. After Sarah McKinney singled, Candioto kept the inning alive with a two-out double to put runners at second and third.

B3: Kendall Candioto keeps the inning alive with a two-out double and then Christina Tipton (@tipton_g) drives in two runs on an RBI-single up the middle.

Tipton then used the middle of the field to send a sharply hit ground ball into center to plate the only two runs of the game.

“That was a real solid, big hit in a 0-0 game,” Essig said. “You get two outs and two runners on and an opportunity to score, you’re glad she’s patient.”

The Lady Panthers ran into trouble in the fourth inning when Candioto walked two straight batters to put runners on first and second, but Candioto was able to wiggle out of it. She fielded a bunt attempt from Holliday to retire the side.

In the sixth, second baseman Maddie Terry dove and snagged a ground ball to preserve Candioto’s no-hitter. While Paradise was unable to add any insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning, Candioto did not need them.

“I told my kids I think it’s a great thing to be able to win games in multiple ways,” Essig said. “I think it’s good to win a tight game where everybody plays solid

]]>http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/candioto-paradise-shut-down-holliday/feed/0Errors doom Chico in loss to Lindsayhttp://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/errors-doom-chico-in-loss-to-lindsay/
http://www.wcmessenger.com/2018/sports/errors-doom-chico-in-loss-to-lindsay/#respondMon, 12 Mar 2018 22:00:25 +0000http://www.wcmessenger.com/?p=132275The Chico Lady Dragons dropped their second district game of the season Monday to Lindsay 16-4.

Lindsay got on the board in the top of the first when Chico dropped a routine fly ball in right field to plate a run. But the errors did not stop there.

The Lady Dragons committed several errors in the second inning, including two throwing errors on one play to score two runs. Chico coach Clay Sanders estimated the Lady Dragons committed over 10 errors on the afternoon, dropping his team to 1-3 on the season.

“Easily double-digits [in errors committed],” Sanders said. “It’s nails in the coffin, if you want to use an analogy like that. We’ll get better with each game, and it’s my job to make sure that happens.”

After going down 7-0, Reagan Hardee got Chico on the board in the third inning with an inside-the-park home run. Hardee launched a pitch into the left field gap that Lindsay’s outfielder struggled to corral.

Hardee’s home run ignited a three-run inning for the Lady Dragons, as Chico added another run on an RBI-single through the right side of the infield.

“Reagan is the lightning rod of this team, in my opinion” Sanders said. “I’ve got her at leadoff, and that tells you everything you need to know about her. She’s a great athlete all the way around.”

Despite getting runners on second and third with no outs in the third, Chico was unable to do any more damage. Then in the fourth inning, Lindsay blew the game open.

The Lady Knights scored seven runs in the frame, capped with a two-run blast to right field. Lindsay added another run in the fifth on a past ball to put the game away, as Chico was not able to get any closer.

The Lady Dragons hosted Tioga on Tuesday and will get the remainder of the week off for spring break. Although they are nearly a month into their season, this was only the fourth game Chico has played.

Sanders said nearly all of the Lady Dragons’ games and tournaments to start the year were rained out or canceled due to winter weather.

“We can’t use that as an excuse, and we won’t use it as an excuse,” Sanders said. “It’s kind of rough when you [don’t] get those in-game experiences and then district play starts and you can’t knock that rust off early on.”

ON THE MOVE – Northwest senior Mason Hix drives by an Alamo Heights defender during the Texans’ win in the 5A semifinal. Photo courtesy Stephen Spillman

After 39 games, including the 65-54 semifinal win over Alamo Heights Thursday, Northwest is just one victory away from its first state championship in school history. Standing in their way is 33-5 Port Arthur Memorial, who beat Midlothian Thursday to earn a spot in the Class 5A final.

The two schools will square off at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome for the right to be crowned the state champion.

The Texans are expecting an up-tempo game from the Titans Saturday afternoon, as Port Arthur is known for its intense, full-court pressure. The Titans used it to overwhelm Midlothian in the semifinal.

“They’re going to press the whole game,” Hatch said after Northwest’s victory over Alamo Heights. “It’s going to be a complete 180 from this game. Totally different. We’re fine with that. We don’t mind playing that way. We look forward to the challenge.”

Port Arthur is averaging 69.4 points this season. Defensively, they only surrender an average of 49.9 – giving them an average margin of victory of almost 20 points.

The Texans, meanwhile, average 70.7 points. Northwest has used a balanced offensive attack throughout its playoff run, highlighted by Thursday’s performance in the semifinals. Four of the Texans’ five starters ended in double figures.

Both teams enter this championship bout on lengthy winning streaks and went undefeated in district play. Northwest has won 18 straight dating back to Dec. 30, while the Titans have won 25 in a row dating back to Dec. 8.

“They’re much more physical and more athletic [than Alamo Heights],” Hatch said. “A little bigger, obviously. We’ve played teams like that this year, and we’ve always fared well. Come Saturday we’ll be excited and ready to go.”

It’s the first time the Texans have ever played in a state final game. Last season, Northwest lost to Fort Bend Marshall 82-59 in the state semifinal. Both Hatch and starting point guard Avery Anderson said the Texans were just happy to be at the state tournament last year.

On Saturday, the mission is different.

“Win. That’s it,” Anderson said. “Play for each other and use last year as motivation again to get the [win].”‘